Manistee River Trail

[Chuck the Mauler]

So this past weekend we did end up hiking the MRT. Our original plan was to hike a ways up the NCT side in the dark Friday night (which we had done MANY times in the past) and camp. Then continue north and cross over at the suspension bridge and hike back down the MRT side Saturday.

Once at the TH Friday night we changed our plans. We decided to hike up the MRT side first and complete the loop counterclockwise down the NCT side instead.

There was rumor that the Michigan Hiking and Backpacking group, which I'm a member of, was camped at sites 8 & 9. When we got to the fire road leading back to the sites I stopped long enough to tell there was no bacon or coffee so we continued on.

We arrived at the suspension bridge around 12:30 pm. It had been mostly cloudy until about that time in the day, and so to take advantage of the beautiful sunshine, we decided rather than to complete the loop, that it would be in our best interest to head south back down the MRT side.

We hiked back to just before site 7 and made camp near the river. It was an easy 16 mile day.
The woods and river were beautiful. That trail never gets old to me. The next day we hiked out and headed to Cadillac and had breakfast at Burks.

The best time of the year to do this hike is in the fall when the leaves are changing color. Tons of Sugar Maples, Birch, Oak and Ash tree's with enough pine to make it vibrant.

Here's a short video with pics from the trip if anyone is interested. Be sure to check the HD icon in the corner. Nothing special as I didn't put a ton of time into it.

 

[DrNed]

The best time of the year to do this hike is in the fall when the leaves are changing color. Tons of Sugar Maples, Birch, Oak and Ash tree's with enough pine to make it vibrant.

As I'm wathcing your video that's exactly what I'm thinking. I do love me some Michigan forest in the fall.

 

[Chuck the Mauler]

Yes, Fall in Northern Michigan is the best time of year to hike. Here are a couple from a Fall trip there a couple years back. We do a "Fall Color Palooza" each year. We had just missed 100% color by about 6 days. A good rain and a little wind and you miss the colors.

 

[Absarokanaut]

Michigan is arguably the best represented state here on both sides of the Divide in terms of REAL outdoor enthusiasts and conservationists. The Ranch has had a Michigan hunting group for something like 28 of 33 years, and my experience with them was delightful aside from the Facist impositionists like KC here.

Jokes aside that is like so much of the Eastern US for me, deciduous paradise. Thanks for sharing senor lobo.